Impact of Ag– SiO 2 Nanocomposite on Metal Corrosive Desulfovibrio Biofilm

ABSTRACT Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a significant issue causing material damage of metals in pipelines, storage tanks, and marine infrastructure, leading to significant industrial damage and maintenance costs. Anaerobic sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) are the main causative agent for MIC. Their capacity to form biofilms facilitates SRB to cause high corrosion rates. In this study, Ag–SiO 2 nanocomposite with silver nanoparticle (Ag NP) dispersed in the silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) matrix was synthesized using a one–pot sol–gel method. Ag–SiO 2 NC was evaluated for its capacity to deter biofilm formation and impact the transcript gene expression of key markers HydA and DVU1817 Cytochrome c553 genes for the SRB biofilm‐formation and metal corrosion in Desulphovibrio gigas strain. The effect of Ag–SiO 2 NC on the SRB mediated Carbon steel corrosion was also examined using potentiodynamic polarization electrochemical corrosion testing. The findings from our study validate the antibacterial and corrosion inhibitory characteristics of nanocomposite Ag–SiO 2 NC against D. gigas . A simple and reproducible Ag–SiO 2 NC synthesis will significantly boost the industrial production of silver‐doped silica products for controlling SRB population, enabling development of advanced high‐performance protective metal coatings with enhanced antimicrobial properties.